Printer&#39;s catch or registering means.



A. R. WARREN & A. F. BALS.

PRINTER'S CATCH 0R REGISTERING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1913.

1 137316 0 v Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I. 35 1 a THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. FHOTC-LITHO" WASHINGTON, D. C.

A. R. WARREN & A. F. BALS. PRINTER'S CATCH 0R REGISTERING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1913.

1, 1 37,8 1 6 Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

1H5 NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOT0-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C.

lUNfT T ATENT FFTQE,

ARTHUR R. WARREN, OF OAK PARK, AND ANTHONY F. BALS, OF ZION CITY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO UNIVERSAL PRINTING APPLIANCES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PRINTERS CATCH OE REGISTERING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May a, 1915.

Application filed March 21, 1913. Serial No. 755,876.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR R. WARREN and ANTHONY F. Bans, citizens of the United States, and residents of the town of Oak Park, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, and Zion City, Lake county, Illinois, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Printers Catches or Registering Means; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Printing plates have, in the past usually been mounted upon a wood backing or block, a feature necessitating loss of time and expense, but the plates are now usually given a thin backing of metal and the wood backing dispensed with. For the purpose of handling such plates, a printing base is used, usually constructed of a plurality of sections or blocks,which are accurately planed and shaped to inter-fit with one another, and afiord a true bearing surface and support for the printing plate. It has been customaryto provide certain of said blocks with ad justable clamping means, whereby the plates might be engaged and retained against the base, and supported thereby.

It has been usual to advance and retract such clamping means by means of a lead screw, which engages a suitable nut or threaded portion forming a part of, or rigidly secured upon the clamping means. It is obvious therefore, that, when a considerable amplitude of adjustment is to be effected, that a considerable loss of time and labor is involved in effecting the same.

This invention relates to a block provided with quick adjustable clamping means, whereby an approximate adjustment is effected by freely sliding the clamping means to position, and the finer accurate adjustments effected through the means of a lead screw or worm.

It is an object of this invention to provide a block afiording clamping means quickly adjustable to an approximate position inde pendently of the lead screws.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device whereby the clamping means may be entirely freed from the adjusting mechanism and moved to any desired position.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a block equipped with a plurality of clamping means,and each thereof adapted for quick adjustment independently of the other.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a block provided with a pivoted spring actuated rack member, which is suitably adjustable by means of a lead screw, and engages a complemental rack on the under face of the clamping means to prevent reverse movement therebetween when so desired.

I It is also an object of this invention to provide a block with adjustable centering means whereby similarly constructed plates may be placed on the form and quickly centered or brought into proper register without necessitating preliminary impressions for the purpose.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a clamping and centering device which is quickly adjustable to and from the printing plate to be retained, and is also movable transversely thereof to effect small adjustments in centering.

It is also an object of this invention to provide interchangeable clamping elements having a plurality of rack engaging surfaces and wherein said clamping elements are capable of adjustment after the block has been inserted in the printing base.

It is futhermore an object of this invention to'provide the clamping. means on said block section with a projection adapted to engage in a recess in the electrotype or other printing plate to center the same.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct a device of few parts of substantial and compact design, and with the actuating mechanisms therefor contained within and protected by the block.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a printing base made up of sec tional blocks, with blocks inserted in each side thereof having adjustable clamping members. Fig.7 2 is a top plan view of a block provided with a single adjustable of said, clamping member.

clamping member. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is a section on line is a top plan view of one of the clamping members removed from the block. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan View thereof. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of said clamping 'member. Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section therethrough. Fig. 12 is a front elevation Fig. '18 is a top plan view of a block provided with'a plurality of clamping members. Fig. 14: is a section taken on line 1414 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a bottom plan view of a block provided with a plurality of adjustable clamping members. Fig. 16 is a central vertical section through a clamping member without the centering attachments.

As shown in the drawings: 1, indicates as a whole a printing base built up of a pluralityof sectional blocks, or such base may be an integral body provided with recesses for" the reception of the blocks 2 and 3. The dotted line represents an electrotype or plate 4, resting upon the base for-in and retained thereon by the clamping means in the blocks. The blocks provided with single adjustable clamping members, comprise the upper faced portion 2, and the downwardly extending side walls 5, and pivotally retained in the recess so formed is the notched plate or rack 6. A lead screw 7, is shown journaled to freely rotate in the side walls of said block, and is provided on one of its ends on the inner side thereof with a collar 8, and secured on the outer end thereof, in a recess in the wall 5, is the actuating tooth or slotted wheel 9. Said rack or plate 6,

is apertured to slide freely on the smooth portion 10, of said lead screw, and near one end is complementally threaded to engage the threads on the lead screw, thus adapting said rack to be moved longitudinally with rotation of said lead screw. For the purpose of easy assembly, the wall 5, of the blockopposite from that recessed for the actuating wheel 9, is provided with an enlarged aperture adapting the-lead screw to be inserted therethrough, and a small bushing 11, is then'slipped over the end of the lead screw and threaded into the wall of the block to afford a bearing for said screw.

As shown, the smooth portion 10, of the lead screw, is oflarger diameter than the threaded portion, and the amplitude of movement of the rackthereon is limited to slightly more than'the. pitch of the teeth on the face thereof. Reference to Fig. 6 will disclose the upper face of said rack 6, as longitudinally recessed, and provided on each side thereof are the rows of teeth 12.

The upper wall 2, of said block, is provided with a longitudinal slot extending along and parallel to the recess in the plate 6, thereby adapting the T shaped portion 13, of the clamping member 14, to extend therethrough and project over said racks 12.

The under face 13, of said T'portion of the clamping member, is provided with a series ed to engage in the recess in the upper face of said rack plate6, to maintain the same in The neck portion 16, of said clamping member, is of the same width as the alinement.

recess or slot in the top wall 2, ofthe block, constraining said clampingmember to move truly therein. As shown in Fig. 5, theend wall 5, of the block at the point of intersection of the longitudinal slot in the top wall 2, thereof, is provided with a T shaped recess to permit the insertion of the clamping member therein. The complemental teeth on said rack plate 6, and the teeth on the under face of said clamping member, are acutely angled in one direction only, thereby permitting the clamping member to be pushed inwardly along the block, and, inasmuch as said plate 6', is retained upwardly in engagement therewith by means of the spring 17, secured on one of the side walls 5, of the block, said rack plate is successively pressed down, moving about its pivoted mounting 10, as the teeth on the clamping member ride over the teeth on the top of the rack plate, similar to a pawl and ratchet construction.

In the modification of the clamping member shown in Figs 8 to 12, a V shaped centering projection 18, is provided on the clamping face, and this serves to engage a complemental notch in the printingplate to accurately center the same. The integral downwardly extending projection 15, is dispensed with, and in its place is substituted the rotatable eccentric member 19, provided with an actuating handle 20, said member being suitably journaled and secured to the clamping member, by means of the screw 21. In this case, the neck 16, is made of smaller width than the longitudinal slot in the top wall 2, of the block, in order to permit 7 transverse movement of sa1d clamping mem- 1 ber to an extent depending upon the eccentricity of the transverse, adjusting member 19. Thus it will be seen by reference to Fig. 9, that the eccentric, 1'9, engaging in the longitudinal recess between the teeth in the upper face of said rack plate 6, when moved in one direction, will thrust the clamping member in the opposite direction, thereby closely one within the other, it is only necessary to thread one of the same to engage the lead screw 7, in order to provide a means for simultaneously adjusting each of said plates within the block. In this latter con- .struction, two leaf springs are shown engaged on opposite walls of the interior of the block and are designated, as before, with the reference numeral 17. Of course, the clamping members 14, in this construction are each independently adjustable relative their respective rack plates, but are simultaneously adjusted when the lead screw is actuated. As is usual in such constructions, the gripping faces of the clamping members 14, are slightly inclined in order to positively retain the printing plate against the printing base.

The operation is as follows: In Fig. 16, the simplest form of adjustable clamping member is shown, that is to say the clamping member is not provided with the centering projection, and is only movable longitudinally of the block. However, in all of the constructions shown, when it is desired to retract the clamping member without actuating the lead screw, the operator may insert his finger or a suitable tool through the slot in the top surface 2, of the block, and, by pressing downwardly upon the rack plate 6, spring the same out of engagement with the teeth on the under face of the clamping member, thereby permitting the latter to be freely moved in the slot in the block.

As heretofore stated, the forward movement of the clamping member, without actuation of the lead screw, is readily permitted, due to the shape of the engaging teeth of the rack and the teeth on the clamping member, which permits the clamping member to be thrust forwardly, the locking effect being similar to that of a ratchet mech anism. When the clamping member has been moved into an approximate close position with the printing plate the finer longitudinal adjustments are effected by means of the lead screw, by actuating wheel 9, and in the case of the construction provided with the centering point 18, transverse adjust-.

ment is effected by inserting a suitable tool in the recess in the block, and moving the actuating arm 20, of the eccentric 19, the

wedging or frictional contact thereof with the rack plate, serving to hold the same in position when adjusted. As shown in Fig. 1, it is usual to provide the base form, whether made up of sections, or whether an integral construction, with a plurality of longitudinal and transverse lines affording a coordinate surface, the divisions thereof corresponding to a certain printers scale. The pitch of the teeth on the rack plate 6, may be preferably equal to a unit division of such a scale.

WVe are aware that various details of construction may be changed in a wide degree without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention: a

1. .In a printers block an adjustable clamping member slidable therein, teeth thereon, a spring thrust ratchet rack acting to lock the same thereon by engagement with said teeth at various positions, and a lead screw for adjusting said locking means to afford a fine adjustment for said clamping member.

2. In a device of the class described a block, slidable clamping. members thereon, pivotally mounted locking members adapted to engage the same in locked position at various points on said block, resilient means for said locking members normally acting to oppose pivotal movement thereof in one direction, and means adjusting said locking members and said clamping members therewith to aflord a fine adjustment for said clamping members.

8. In a device of the class described a printers block, clamping members slidable thereon, a recessed locking member adapted to hold said clamping member in adjusted position, and eccentric means on said clamping member adapted to engage in said recessed member to move said clamping member transversely of said block for centering adjustments.

4. In a device of the class described a clamp, a centering projection thereon, means affording quick locking adjustment therefor longitudinally of said block, and eccentric mechanism adapted to move said clamping member transversely for centering when locked from longitudinal movement.

5. In a device of the class described a printers block, a clamping member slidable thereon and retained in squared relation in all positions thereon, pivotally mounted locking plates therefor adapted to be thrown out of engagement therewith to permit rapid adjustment thereof, and means adjusting said clamping member transversely of said block. I g

6. In a device of the class described a printers block, a clamping member slidable thereon, a pivoted ratchet plate for locking the same inadjusted position, and mechanism permitting said locking plate to be swung out ofengagementwith said clamp ing member adapting the same to be quickly adjusted in the block free of said locking plate.

7. In a device of the class described a printers block having a groove therein, a clamping and centering device adjustable longitudinally in said groove, and mechanism associated with said clamping and centering device and coacting with said block to effect slight adjustment of said centering device transversely in thegroove in said block for centering purposes.

8. In a device of the class described a block, a clamping member slidable therein,

' a screw rotatably mounted in said block, a

toothed plate adapted to engage said member and pivotally mounted on said screw and complementally threaded to be engaged thereby, and a leaf spring mounted on said block and bearing upwardly beneath said plate to maintain the same in proper posi- 'tion.

9. In a device of the class described a block, a clamping member slidably mounted therein, a screw pivotally mounted in said block, a toothed locking plate for said clamping member pivotally mounted on said screw and adapted to be moved relative thereto by rotation of said screw, and resilient means mounted on said block and bearing on said toothed plate to maintain the same in engagement with said clamping member. I I I 10. The combination with a printers block having a groove therein, of a clamping member slidable longitudinally in said groove, and an eccentric lever pivoted on said clamping member adapted to engage the walls of said groove to shift said clamping member transversely in the groove for centering purposes.

11. In a device of the class described a printers block, a clamping member slidable thereon, a centering element on sald clamplng member, and an eccentrlc plvotally mounted on said clamping member adapted a to move and lock the same transversely of said printers block.

12. In a device of the class described a printers block, a clamping member mounted thereon, a spring thrust pivotally mounted locking means for said clamping member, and an eccentric mounted on said clamping member to permit transverse movement and positioning of said clamping member relative said block. 7

13. The combination with a printers block of a clamping member movable longit'udinally thereof, a grooved locking member mounted in said block and engaged by said clamping member, a centering element on said clamping member, and an eccentric mounted on said clamping member and adapted to engage in the groove in said locking member to move and clamp said locking member transversely on said block in various centering positions.

14. In a device of the class described a cored out printersblock, a rack bar pivoted therewithin, a clamping member slidable in a groove in said block, teeth on said clamping member adapted to coact with, the teeth of said rack bar to hold said clamping member in various positions of adjustment, and resilient means acting normally to hold said rack bar in engagement with the teeth on said clamping'member.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

ARTHUR, R. WARREN. ANTHONY F. BALS. Witnesses:

CHARLES WV. HILLS, Jr., LEON M. REIBSTEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

mg member and adapted to engage said lock- 

